ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — a city
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. branch — a division
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a match
  22. capital — money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com